After 10-11 months of intensive job hunting I have finally found a job. I know lots of people are still hunting or they already gave up and trying to change career or just waiting economy being better. I am going to tell you all the processes I have been through.
First of all everything has started on internet, there are many websites which helps people publish their resume or allow them see open positions. Naturally I built a resume in many websites and most of them were Turkish considering I live in Turkey. I applied many of the design position but I always felt there was something wrong. As being a designer applying to jobs without a portfolio was quite a nuisance indeed. I spent my 5 years to make that portfolio and read many articles flowing on internet to how to make an efficient portfolio. It is everything I have got about my profession It's more than a CV a resume or a diploma. It is actually saying who I am how I work or How I design and knowing employers who look for designers don't give a S.... was quite frustrating.
As a result nothing happened with the job hunting websites. I had to find another way. I started to micro-blogging, twitter, It sounded logic at the time to built a network and present yourself to those people who are already designer and who would help you. There is no need to say It didn't work either. I met many people and i had a chance to learn their perspective to design and their approach to design things but when it comes to network it was useless. But I still believe there are many opportunities in twitter. If you are planing to work as a freelancer or just want to promote yourself, there is no place like twitter. You sure have to be different and creative on the way to draw people's attention on you. Than you are ready to go.
If you are planing to promote yourself or express yourself on twitter you will probably need a blog or which is better than that your own website. Thinking you are a designer you need a place to present your portfolio to people without taking their time or causing lots of trouble. But on the way you have many tools ready which are totally free. Such as googleDoc or Dropbox. These are the services which gives you some space to put your documents and invite people to see it, even not mentioning almost every blog clients are free and you can design many of them with your taste just like making your portfolio.
After all I failed I couldn't find anything and i decided to go in a different way by changing my career and It worked. I have found a job to support my life and while doing it I started to photography and I actually made money with my camera which was totally surprising for me. But I never gave up trying to find a job on my line which was product design. I sent my portfolio almost everywhere in Turkey but sadly I couldn't receive any answer. I do still send my portfolio and it's flowing around internet, whenever i find a chance I ask for a review to the designers who already have a job or trying to contact people in the design firms and i barely get answers.
Recently I have decided to move away and leaving the country to work in my line. I started to send my portfolio abroad and the first one was Teams Design in Germany. Which was surprising I received an answer after a week. They thanked me for my interest in Teams Design but they also said although they found my portfolio impressive I wasn't fit the position they were looking for. It was good to hear being rejected. I mean after sending my resume and portfolio hundreds time It was so good to hear at least someone saw it and thought over it.It was so encouraging to read the mail. It was my first intention to apply working abroad and i got an answer from a giant design firm like Teams Design. I left behind all the thoughts in my head and started to think again that I might have a chance to go back to my line which is my profession.
Than I found this website on internet called coroflot which is like designers network. I uploaded some of my projects and than tried to meet people and I met @markwhiting I also asked for a critique from him on my portfolio. He was very kind I think. He didn't say anything negative on it. I got really good advices from him like searching for the design companies in Europe and sending my resume and portfolio either they look for a designer or not. This might sound a bit silly but I hadn't done it before until Mark told me to do.
I gathered some information and learnt the contact addresses which means mainly e-mail addresses but I also called them and informed I had sent my portfolio and resume. I thought in this way I might sound a bit more human they would hear my voice and feel my willing and my passion. I sent my portfolio over 20 firm in a month and I got answers from all off them, unlike the firms in Turkey, majority was telling they had no open position except one.
It was from Jacob Jensen Design, Denmark and telling me I was accepted, starting in August. It was the greatest news I had heard since i graduated. I really can't tell you how I was happy. It's been 3 months since it was approved and here I am preparing to leave my country and going somewhere where I've never been before, even I don't know how to say hello in Danish. It's quite nuisance leaving your country because of your job but I totally understood that I have no chance to live in turkey and being a designer.
Sure in everywhere corruption goes on but I think It's a bit more in Turkey. I learnt If you don't know anyone or what they call if you don't have the right reference you barely find a job. I would suggest you all that try to get connect people even if you don't have any possibility to do that You have internet and social communities where you can meet people a lot more easier than real life. You ask for critiques or just a review everything would work in the way. Job hunting is a painful process but you shouldn't give up. There are still many opportunities.
